1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a photosensitive material processing apparatus and photosensitive material. More particularly, the present invention relates to a photosensitive material processing apparatus in which a processing condition can be changed easily according to changes in the type of the photosensitive material in use, and photosensitive material.
2. Description Related to the Prior Art
A photosensitive material processing apparatus is used in a photo laboratory. An example of the photosensitive material processing apparatus is a printer/processor, which includes a printer section, a processor section, a drier section and a stacker section. The printer section prints an image to photographic paper as photosensitive material by exposure. The processor section develops the photographic paper being exposed. The stacker section is added if desired. In general, the processor section includes a transporting rollers and plural processing baths. The transporting rollers transport the photographic paper being exposed. The processing baths contain various kinds of processing liquid, which are for processing, bleaching/fixing, rinsing and stabilizing. The transporting rollers transport the photographic paper to the processing baths, to effect processing by passage in the processing liquid of those kinds one after another. For the photosensitive material processing apparatus of this structure, the developing liquid is predetermined as a combination including the photographic paper, as the developing liquid is suitable for the photographic paper. A process temperature and process time for the photographic paper in the developing bath are included in processing conditions predetermined according to the process of the developing liquid.
There are different photographic developing processes for various factors of the photographic paper, such as a type, manufacturer and the like of the photographic paper. To optimize the quality of images on the photographic paper for each one of the different types of the photographic paper, the processing conditions for the photosensitive material processing apparatus must be changed or altered. Such changes are associated with changes in the type of the photographic paper, and are input by manual operation to determine the processing conditions of the relevant sections. Thus, setting of the processing conditions requires laborious operation. If the processing conditions are erroneously set, no prints with high quality can be produced. There occurs waste of the photographic paper.
In view of the foregoing problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a photosensitive material processing apparatus and photosensitive material. More particularly, the present invention relates to a photosensitive material processing apparatus in which a processing condition can be changed easily according to changes in the type of the photosensitive material in use, and photosensitive material.
In order to achieve the above and other objects and advantages of this invention, a photosensitive material processing apparatus includes a printer section for recording an image on photosensitive material by exposure. There is a processor section for photographic development of the photosensitive material being exposed. A drier section dries the photosensitive material being developed. A type discerning unit discerns type information of a type of the photosensitive material. A condition information generator generates information of a processing condition according to the type information being discerned, so as to control at least one of the printer section, the processor section and the drier section.
The condition information generator includes a condition table memory for storing information of the processing condition predetermined for each of plural types of the photosensitive material. One of the plural types is selected according to the type information being discerned.
The processing condition for the printer section includes at least one of existence or lack of back printing to the photosensitive material, an exposing speed to the photosensitive material, a transporting speed of the photosensitive material, and a sorting speed of the photosensitive material to any one of plural transporting paths.
The photosensitive material is a photosensitive sheet. Furthermore, a roll loading chamber is loaded with a photosensitive material roll of long photosensitive material. A cutter cuts the long photosensitive material unwound from the photosensitive material roll, to obtain the photosensitive sheet, the printer processor being supplied with the photosensitive sheet. The processing condition includes at least one of a drawing speed of the long photosensitive material from the photosensitive material roll, and a cutting interval adapted to obtaining the photosensitive sheet from the long photosensitive material by cutting.
The processing condition of the processor section includes at least one of a transporting speed of the photosensitive material, liquid temperature of developing liquid for the photosensitive material, and a replenisher flow rate for the developing liquid.
The processing condition of the drier section includes at least one of a transporting speed of the photosensitive material, a drying temperature of drying air for the photosensitive material, and an air flow rate of the drying air.
Furthermore, a transporting mechanism transports the photosensitive material in the printer section, the processor section and the drier section serially. The processing condition includes a transporting speed at which the transporting mechanism transports the photosensitive material.
Furthermore, a controller checks whether coincidence occurs between the type information being discerned and the type information of the plural types being stored, and if the coincidence does not occur, disables operation with the photosensitive material, or generating an alarm signal.
The photosensitive material is supplied while contained in a magazine, there is an information region formed in the photosensitive material or the magazine for recording of the type information. The type discerning unit is an information reader for reading the type information of the photosensitive material from the information region.
The magazine includes a type ID chip, secured to the information region, for storing the type information.
The photosensitive material is supplied in a form of a photosensitive material roll, and the photosensitive material roll includes a spool for winding of the photosensitive material in a state with a front end of the photosensitive material positioned outside, and with a back surface of the photosensitive material directed outwards. A leader sheet is secured to the front end, for being advanced forwards in unwinding the photosensitive material. An information region is formed in at least one of the front end, the back surface, the leader sheet and the spool, and has the type information of the type of the photosensitive material.
The type information includes a type indicia, a type number, or a type code.
Furthermore, a type ID chip is secured to the information region, for storing the type information.
Information of the processing condition stored in the condition table memory is predetermined further for each of first and second modes, the first mode is preset with priority of high speed over economized energy, and the second mode is preset with priority of economized energy over high speed. Furthermore, an externally operable mode selector selectively determines the first and second modes.
Furthermore, a photosensitive material sensor checks exiting of a preceding photosensitive material from the processor section. After exiting of the preceding photosensitive material from the processor section, the transporting mechanism operates at the transporting speed determined newly.
Furthermore, a controller detects whether the photosensitive material has been changed over before reading of the type information in the type discerning unit, and if the photosensitive material has been changed over, allows setting of the transporting mechanism at the transporting speed determined newly.
Furthermore, a display panel indicates information related to the type or the transporting speed.
The photosensitive material comprises a photosensitive sheet. Furthermore, a sheet supply section supplies the printer section with the photosensitive sheet. There is a memory, including a first memory area for storing tracking information written thereto in synchronism with operation of the sheet supply section. A second memory area stores the tracking information written thereto in synchronism with transport of the photosensitive sheet to the printer section according to shifting from the first memory area. A third memory area stores the tracking information written thereto in synchronism with transport of the photosensitive sheet to the processor section according to shifting from the second memory area. A fourth memory area stores the tracking information written thereto in synchronism with transport of the photosensitive sheet to the drier section according to shifting from the third memory area, the first to fourth memory areas being adapted to tracking a position of the photosensitive sheet being transported.
The sheet supply section includes a roll loading chamber for being loaded with a photosensitive material roll of long photosensitive material. A cutter cuts the long photosensitive material unwound from the photosensitive material roll, to obtain the photosensitive sheet.
Each of the first to fourth memory areas is constituted by at least one register.
The tracking information represents at least one of the type, a width and a length of the photosensitive sheet. Furthermore, a controller produces the tracking information individually in association with the photosensitive sheet.
According to another aspect of the invention, a photosensitive material roll constituted by winding of photosensitive material includes a spool for winding of the photosensitive material in a state with a front end of the photosensitive material positioned outside, and with a back surface of the photosensitive material directed outwards. A leader sheet is secured to the front end, for being advanced forwards in unwinding the photosensitive material. An information region is formed in at least one of the front end, the back surface, the leader sheet and the spool, and has type information of the photosensitive material.